Biofeedback

Biofeedback is a bit of mystery.  For years, some have questioned if and how this intervention works.  Many have the image of a child hooked up with electrodes to their head--possibility being pumped full of electrical currents.

 

 

So what exactly is Biofeedback?

 

Biofeedback is a process in which you can observe, become aware, and change your own body responses that you previously felt no control over.   Through this process, you will be able to address the unwanted thoughts, feelings or behaviors that hinder you (Freeman, 2009).

 

Some areas that are addressed through Biofeedback

 

Anxiety

ADHD

Chronic Pain

Migraines

High Blood Pressure

Irritable Bowel Syndrome

Adjustment Disorder

Epilepsy

Raynaud disease

Fibromyalgia

PTSD

Anger issues

Depression

Sleep issues

 

Three main types of Biofeedback

 

• Electromyography (EMG) gives feedback about muscle tension and can help with relaxation as well as can teach you to take control over certain body functions.

• Thermal biofeedback gives feedback on skin temperature which can help to assess and change your physical state.  

 

• Skin-Conductance feedback measures the sweat gland activity which can help with assessing points of arousal and can help you learn to control some unwanted anxiety (Freeman, 2009). 

                                                
                                                                                                                                   

How do I decide if Biofeedback is right for me?
 

One of the first things and most important factors is being open to alternative methods of medicine.  If you are not open to CAM, it will be difficult to benefit from interventions (Caspi, Koithan, & Criddle, 2004). 

Next, if other more traditional forms of treatment have not worked or are not working as well as expected then CAM interventions might be a good venue to consider (Frank, Khorshid, Kiffer, Moravec, & McKee, 2010). 

Specifically considering biofeedback, you must look at the areas that biofeedback has been shown to improve (e.g. see list above). 

I would strongly suggest researching how biofeedback has worked with your particular issue. 

If you feel compelled to take the next step, I would suggest making an appointment with a biofeedback clinician to discuss questions and concerns. 


See the research on Biofeedback for much more information.   

 
 

References

Caspi, O., Koithan, M. & Criddle, M.W. (2004). Alternative medicine or "alternative" patients: A qualitative study of patient-oriented decision-making processes with respect to complementary and alternative medicine. Medical Decision Making, 24, 64-79. doi:10.1177/0272989X03261567

 

Frank, D. L., Khorshid, L., Kiffer, J. F., Moravec, C. S., & McKee, M. G. (2010). Biofeedback in medicine: who, when, why and how? Mental Health in Family Medicine, 7(2), 85-91. Retrieved from http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC2939454/

 Freeman, L.W. (2009) Mosby's complementary & alternative medicine: A research-based approach. (3rd ed). Mosby.